FORT HOOD, Texas - He's not the kind of person who enjoys being in the "limelight," but for one moment, newly promoted, Col. Jeffrey Sauer, 1st Cavalry Division Rear Detachment's commander, got his 15 minutes.
"It's not what I wanted, but the wife insisted that it be done," said Sauer about his promotion ceremony May 4, in front of the 1st Cav. Div. Headquarters.
At 22 years in the Army, Sauer was promoted to colonel by 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) commanding general, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, and his wife Sara, in front of more than 50 Soldiers, friends and family members.
"We're here today to celebrate a great event - that's a promotion of a family to a whole new world - a whole new rank," Hammond said. "The Army has selected Jeff Sauer -- his family ... Sara and the children and the entire family, the honor, the privilege, the right to be the high-end, the expert, the full colonel ... the senior leader."
The general took a few minutes to paint a picture of how an Army officer makes it to the rank of colonel to the audience. He took them through Sauer's different assignments and positions that led him to the rank he was about to receive.
As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div. It was during Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08, that Sauer's battalion took over a sector from a Multi-National Division-Baghdad battalion.
"We took this young man from the rank of major to lead a battalion ... I believe it was 1-8, and oh did he command," Hammond recounted. "I saw him in combat. One thing he'd established with his battalion in combat was control in the right conditions."
It wasn't however, the first time the two leaders' served together. During OIF II, Sauer served at the 1st Cav. Div. G-3 Plans and Operations' planner when Hammond was the assistant division commander (Support).
"As much as I love and admire Gen. Pete Chiarelli, one of the greatest of our generals, I'll be the first to tell you that his operational planning all started here," said Hammond as he put his hand on Sauer's shoulder. "If I were a voting guy, with both my hands and feet would I'd vote for this guy and his family to be a maneuver brigade commander. It's the right thing. It's the best thing for the Soldiers, and it's the best thing for our Army. If I were to look into my crystal ball, and I think we're going to try to make it happen ... it must happen."
Sauer said his many thanks for all the visitors for coming out and thanked Hammond for promoted him.
"It was my first time interaction with General Hammond that I learned what the standards were and how this division would operate with him looking at the logistics' side and I had an important part in all of that in terms of equipment allocation," Sauer said. "And that nothing should be left uncovered and no detail was too small."
Sauer said that was the central theme from his past mentors and coaches he's had from the time he was a young lieutenant. He mentioned three noncommissioned officers who served with him as a young platoon leader in Germany as his tank commanders.
"They taught me how to be a leader ... and they eventually gave me the reigns to run my own platoon," he recounted. "But because of those three NCOs, I am probably who I am today. I am very proud to have served with those three gentlemen."
He also pointed out some former Soldiers who he served with who were in the audience such as his former command sergeant major, one of his platoon sergeants and Soldiers who served with him who sustained injuries while serving together in OIF 06-08.
The emotion Sauer thanked them for the many sacrifices they gave to ensuring their mission was completed.
He also thanked his current, rear detachment staff for the job they do every day.
"I tell as many people as I can these days, 'no one knows the job of rear detachment, unless they have walked in your shoes before,'" Sauer said. "In this job, you are completely stressed to the true value of taking care of Soldiers. This is just about one of toughest jobs in the Army and there are not a whole lots of 'thanks' going around."
Yet, he saved his last group of "thank you's" for his family.
"Thank you putting up with the long nights, deployments, gunneries, the NTC (National Training Center) rotations - everything I've had to do where I have not been at home and you have all carried the load."
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